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Hello guys I need your help.I bought the Priva Px5s 1 month ago but now I rethink the whole situation:This is my first DP so Im mostly gonna play at home. I also want speakers so people like friends or family members can here me playin when they come over. I couldnt find any good sounding battery powered speaker so the battery option on the Px5s is kinda useless. Instead of gettin external speakers to the stagepiano I thought of selling mine and add the money that I would spend on studio monitors to get a Kawai ES7. I already tested them side by side and the ES7 definitly got the better action.It would also weight the same as the Px5s AND the external pa speakers or whateverDoes this even make sense? Please write your opinion.

May I ask what was your motivation for purchasing the PX-5S, over an alternative model with integrated speakers such as the PX-350?

I was fortunate enough to receive a one-on-one demonstration of the PX-5S with Mike Martin a few months ago, and was very impressed - it's an incredibly powerful and flexible instrument!

By contrast, the ES7 is more of a 'standard' portable digital piano, in a similar mould as the Yamaha P155, Roland FP-7F/FP-80, and the Casio PX-350. It does not feature a vast selection of sounds, nor does it offer the advanced tonal adjustment, layering, and splitting functionality of a stage piano such as your PX-5S. What it does do, however, is provide a very authentic, piano playing experience, with a class-leading keyboard action and high quality speaker system.

My recommendation would be to play-test an ES7, along with the competing models mentioned above, to get a feel for the keyboard action, available sounds, and features. It could be that you prefer the PX-5S' additional functionality and decide to hold onto the Casio after all.

Thanks for your fast reply.I choosed the Casio because of its light weight and battery option but they as nessecery as I thought. Also the ES7 was to expensive for me with my 1000 Euro budget. Many of the functions on the Px5s are useless to me. Like layering or spitting zones. Mainly I need good (E) Piano sounds and a nice keybed which the ES7 seems to have. I would never need Synths or all the other sounds like Whistles and Bells. These couple sounds on the ES7 seems to be enough but I will check out the other models that you mentioned How much people could the speakers of the ES7 handle?

Hello guys I need your help.I bought the Priva Px5s 1 month ago but now I rethink the whole situation:This is my first DP so Im mostly gonna play at home. I also want speakers so people like friends or family members can here me playin when they come over. I couldnt find any good sounding battery powered speaker so the battery option on the Px5s is kinda useless. Instead of gettin external speakers to the stagepiano I thought of selling mine and add the money that I would spend on studio monitors to get a Kawai ES7. I already tested them side by side and the ES7 definitly got the better action.It would also weight the same as the Px5s AND the external pa speakers or whateverDoes this even make sense? Please write your opinion.

Much love

A little more information would help some.

You say this is your first DP. Does that mean you are just beginning to play piano or have you been playing for years on an acoustic ?

If you are a beginner I would suggest that you are a ways from playing for friends. So, you may wish to just practice using headphones for awhile and see how you like the sound. Then if you do like the sound, attaching some external powered monitors might give you a very nice sound for friends and teacher.

That being said ... I have the ES7 and believe it would be a very nice DP for you and the speakers that come with it may be all you need. They are quite good. Not very scientific, but my opinion based on my experience with them.

Is the PX5s still within the return time period? Or will it have to be sold or traded in? That difference might mean another 10% to 30%.

Another option is less expensive speakers. Some on the forum have good results with speakers designed for computers. Another option is looking at used speakers. How often will the speakers be needed? Another person mentioned a Casio PX350, which would be more of a lateral trade instead of adding more money.

I'm not sure why the battery option was so appealing in the first place. It would seem to me, that a person plays well if their plan was to play in public spaces away from power. More research into portable power sources is another possibility. Some musicians use regular speakers (not battery powered) and then use car batteries or other home made rigs, to power their instruments in the field.

Anyway, one not-so-good decision was already made. Unless the clock is ticking on a return privilege, I wouldn't rush into another decision. As an aside, some people are rarely happy with their decisions. For example, if the other unit had been bought first, a person might wish for a battery capability, and more portability, without thinking about the trade offs.

I couldnt find any good sounding battery powered speaker so the battery option on the Px5s is kinda useless. Instead of gettin external speakers to the stagepiano I thought of selling mine and add the money that I would spend on studio monitors to get a Kawai ES7.

If you really would prefer full portable battery operation if you could easily get it, have you checked into the Roland BA-330 pr BA-55? They may not be the world's best speakers, but I suspect they are better than anything built into any slab piano, and you'd still have battery option, and for probably less total outlay than the trade-up you're talking about. But if you're perfectly willing to give up on the battery portability idea, you might easily prefer the ES7 otherwise and that might be the better way to go.

I couldnt find any good sounding battery powered speaker so the battery option on the Px5s is kinda useless. Instead of gettin external speakers to the stagepiano I thought of selling mine and add the money that I would spend on studio monitors to get a Kawai ES7.

If you really would prefer full portable battery operation if you could easily get it, have you checked into the Roland BA-330 pr BA-55? They may not be the world's best speakers, but I suspect they are better than anything built into any slab piano, and you'd still have battery option, and for probably less total outlay than the trade-up you're talking about. But if you're perfectly willing to give up on the battery portability idea, you might easily prefer the ES7 otherwise and that might be the better way to go.

The Roland KC110 is a dedicated stereo keyboard speaker that will run on batteries and is considerably less expensive than the BA systems. It seems to get very good reviews.

As for the PX-5S vs ES7 conundrum, they are such different animals that I think it would be impossible to advise the OP without more background info. In the States it wouldn't make much financial sense to trade the PX for the ES7 unless one was sure it was the right thing. In Europe it's a different matter as the ES7 is substantially less expensive, and the PX-5S is priced higher than in the US.

_________________________"you don't need to have been a rabbit in order to become a veterinarian"

90 of 100 people that i asked told me to stay away from keyboard amps esp. Kc models. Quote: "The only thing that I would run thru an Roland Amp is a Chainsaw."The Kawai got also layering and can be split into 2. The Price diffrence would cost exactly as much as a pair of studio monitors like Rockit 5".Im at the very beginning of playing keyboard. I started with learning melodies of Songs and covers. The Main reason why I didn't bought the Kawai is because it seemed to expensive, else it got everything that I need and its also MIDI compatible like the Px5s.

90 of 100 people that i asked told me to stay away from keyboard amps esp. Kc models. Quote: "The only thing that I would run thru an Roland Amp is a Chainsaw."

I also had that view of the earlier KC amps, but I use Roland's CM-30 and SA-300 amps and find them good for live work - their 6.5" speakers seem to reproduce well (and I think those are in the KC-110). Unfortunately, there is very little choice of battery powered amp/speakers suitable for keyboards.

Quote:

The Kawai got also layering and can be split into 2. The Price diffrence would cost exactly as much as a pair of studio monitors like Rockit 5".Im at the very beginning of playing keyboard. I started with learning melodies of Songs and covers. The Main reason why I didn't bought the Kawai is because it seemed to expensive, else it got everything that I need and its also MIDI compatible like the Px5s.

If you think the ES7 is what you need (and you seem to have convinced yourself it is), then why not go for it?

_________________________"you don't need to have been a rabbit in order to become a veterinarian"

...Im at the very beginning of playing keyboard. I started with learning melodies of Songs and covers. The Main reason why I didn't bought the Kawai is because it seemed to expensive, else it got everything that I need and its also MIDI compatible like the Px5s.

For a true beginner, I tend to go with simple is usually better, less is more. So my suggestion is to get some inexpensive computer speakers and/or look for decent used monitors at a bargain price. Take your time. As a beginner, you aren't up to performing, so there is no need to spend a lot of money on professional speakers for the rare occasions some folks want to listen. For most beginners, that won't be often.

Another inexpensive option is a Y-splitter so two headphones can be hooked up. Yes, that means only one other person can listen at a time, but again, it doesn't seem like this is going to happen that often.

There is a reason you wanted portability and battery power, and it hasn't gone away. By the time you have enough skill to perform, you probably can find some portable speaker solutions and may have regrets trading in the PX5s.

If you are still in time for a full refund, I would suggest the Casio PX350 or similar at near a straight trade without adding more money. Again, there was a reason the Kawai seemed like too much money. That reason likely hasn't changed. If you aren't in time for exchange, you can't expect full money out of selling the PX5s which is now used.

So do you think the Kc110 is good enough? I think it don't make sense to buy a good sounding board but run it through bad sounding speakers.. and the speakers on the Kawai seemed to do their job.I have to rethink the whole situation and the reason I posted here is to let me direct in the right way.

So do you think the Kc110 is good enough? I think it don't make sense to buy a good sounding board but run it through bad sounding speakers.. and the speakers on the Kawai seemed to do their job.

I haven't tried the KC-110, but I doubt it's going to sound like studio monitors. If you can live without battery powered speakers, there is a huge range of equipment available to you. If possible, try some stuff out using your PX-5S as a sound source.

_________________________"you don't need to have been a rabbit in order to become a veterinarian"

So do you think the Kc110 is good enough? I think it don't make sense to buy a good sounding board but run it through bad sounding speakers.. and the speakers on the Kawai seemed to do their job.I have to rethink the whole situation and the reason I posted here is to let me direct in the right way.

Momo As, may I ask why you seem so hung up on a battery powered solution? I thought in a previous post you stated that the battery-powered feature of the PX-5S turned out to not be as important as you first thought. Are you really going to be in a situation where you do not have access to AC power? Also, I thought you mentioned you were a beginner. Why are you looking at battery-powered systems that are more geared for a gigging musician? If you are a beginner, I can't imagine you are playing out at clubs, in front of an audience. If you are mostly playing at home, then you obviously have access to AC power.

Assuming you do have normal access to AC power, than you may want to look at either a more powerful Roland keyboard amplifier, or an active monitor by someone like Yamaha:

I own the Yamaha MSR100, and it is a fantastic, active powered monitor. I use it for playback of rhythm and accompaniment tracks when I am practicing guitar. It is also fantastic as a keyboard amplifier. Of course, there are many other excellent monitors available from other manufacturers. But I can personally vouch for the MSR100.

P.S. -- I also think you may be going through a phase of "buyer's second guessing", in which you are questioning your original purchase. You have an awesome digital piano, which has a great action, excellent tones, and represents amazing "bang for the buck". You are not going to do yourself any good agonizing over things like "should I have gotten the Kawai ES7"...because where does it end? You could easily start wondering next about the Kawai MP10, or Roland700NX. They are all fantastic digital pianos, but you also have a fantastic digital piano...and arguably one that is currently unmatched when it comes to features & quality -vs- price.

I do think you probably should have spent a bit more time in studying what you truly needed, before choosing the PX-5S. As someone else pointed out, it is kind of a shame (given your feedback) that you didn't select a unit which had a decent speaker system built-in, such as the Casio PX-350 or Yamaha P155. If you really wanted great, immersive sound (built-in), and didn't care about portability, I would have recommended you try the Casio PX-850 console style digital piano.

So do you think the Kc110 is good enough? I think it don't make sense to buy a good sounding board but run it through bad sounding speakers.. and the speakers on the Kawai seemed to do their job.I have to rethink the whole situation and the reason I posted here is to let me direct in the right way.

I don't know anything about the amps. I believe that you are getting way ahead of yourself. You said you are a true beginner, and you are already seemed concerned about equipment for gigs, and professional speakers so folks can hear you play.

What was the original plan? To buy the Casio PX5s and some decent monitors? If that was the original plan, the battery powered stuff is a minor concern. Stay with that plan. Take some time to find some used monitors and it might save you a lot of money.

When you play well enough to gig, you can figure out some portable solutions, or borrow gear, or find some used gear. There is no need to plan that all out today. However, if you go ahead and trade in for the Kawai, gigging is going to be that much more difficult. At that point you might be posting again about what a bad decision you made trading in the stage piano for the console. You seem like a person that thinks too fast, too far ahead, too concerned with the far distant future, gets too easily distracted. I suggest focusing on simple solutions.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the Casio you own, except that you can't find battery powered speakers. Again, I see that as a minor concern. I believe that you will find what you need when you need to cross that bridge.

You should be able to buy decent amp/speakers or speakers with integrated amp for $200. Should be better than whatever my Casio PX-330 had. I just ordered $180 amp+monitors for my own speaker-less slab yesterday.

I oredered Lepai 2020 and JBL Control 1 Pro. I also considered Creative T20 ($89) and M-Audio AV40 ($129). Just something to make decent sound -- not rock your socks off ultra high-end stuff.

Well, in that case ... I would suggest to just forget about all that stuff about speakers, for now. Just play it using headphones. Keep things simple and cheap until you know a little more about this new path you are starting down. Things do not always work out just the way you plan.

Keep it simple.

Sometimes we think getting the "perfect" keyboard is going to make us learn faster. It really doesn't, most of the time.

Momo As, may I ask why you seem so hung up on a battery powered solution? I thought in a previous post you stated that the battery-powered feature of the PX-5S turned out to not be as important as you first thought.

...because he hadn't found acceptable battery powered speakers to go with it.

As for why he cared, I don't know... maybe he wanted to play outdoors? I guess we'll have to wait for his reply...

The Roland KC110 is a dedicated stereo keyboard speaker that will run on batteries and is considerably less expensive than the BA systems. It seems to get very good reviews.

Good addition, I forgot about that.

In another thread, there was talk about using the PX5S with something like a Bose Soundlink II as well, if you want something super portable. I would keep expectations low for a speaker that size, though...

I have the KC110 with the PX-5S and am very happy with it. It is not a super powerful amp.. 30 watts under AC and down to 20 under battery power. I don't gig with a band, just solo stuff, so it is plenty loud for my use.

I take the Casio and amp on camping trips and outings for my son's Boy Scouts trip where AC power is not available and it works great. Also nice to be able to plug in an iPod and mic for general music and announcements.

I think I thought too far ahead esp. with the battery option as I won't need them in the near future. I won't be giggin or play somewhere outdoor so the battery option doesn't seem nessecery right now. I continue playing through headphones for practising and let the speakers rest or a while or take a closer look to the Kc110, I will stick to my Px5s since I dont want to spend more time finding the right DP. I spent 1 year searching for infomations and asked in diffrent forums which Dp/Keyboard I should buy and all that stuff. I am really thankful to you guys and appriciate every reply Enough reasons to keep my Casio and all the functions on the Px5s may be come very handy in the Future.

I think I thought too far ahead esp. with the battery option as I won't need them in the near future. I won't be giggin or play somewhere outdoor so the battery option doesn't seem nessecery right now. I continue playing through headphones for practising and let the speakers rest or a while or take a closer look to the Kc110, I will stick to my Px5s since I dont want to spend more time finding the right DP. I spent 1 year searching for infomations and asked in diffrent forums which Dp/Keyboard I should buy and all that stuff. I am really thankful to you guys and appriciate every reply Enough reasons to keep my Casio and all the functions on the Px5s may be come very handy in the Future.

Have a nice time and again Thank you

I think you made a wise, rational decision. That PX-5S is a great keyboard, and like you said, you can look into the Roland KC110, or similar solution, when you are ready. They aren't going anywhere.

I think you made the right choice as well. As you progress the PX-5S will serve you well. If you haven't already done so, make sure you check out http://CasioMusicForums.com to get tips, new sounds and updates for the PX-5S. Also, come on over to the PX-5S Facebook group (URL below in my signature).